MSPs are set to get a pay rise of more than £2000 this year, it has been confirmed.
In a letter to Holyrood’s Finance Committee, Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone confirmed MSPs’ pay would rise by 3.2% in April, bringing their basic salary to £74,506.
The £2311 pay rise follows hikes of 6.7% last year, 1.5% the year before and 3.4% in 2022/23.
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body – a management body made up of five MSPs and chaired by Johnstone – said the pay hike was in line with inflation under the Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) index.
It means the body has moved away from the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) which it said had become “misaligned” with other measures in recent years.
It highlighted that the ASHE mean was recently reported at 6.7%,"further evidencing the misalignment".
Last month, the UK inflation rate was recorded at 2.6%.
The total cost of MSP salaries and associated taxes is expected to rise by £645,000 to almost £15.3 million, including an extra £200,000 due to an increase in employers’ national insurance.
Ministers are entitled to extra money on top of the base rate but since April 2009 have declined to accept their full entitlement, so their take home pay remains at 2008/9 levels.
Currently, a Scottish Government minister is entitled to £99,516 but under the voluntary pay freeze receives the 2008/9 level of £81,449.
A cabinet secretary has an entitlement of £118,511 but receives £96,999.
The voluntary reduction is taken from net pay and returned to the Scottish Government to be made available for public spending.
